Lady Luck
by OutInTheStorm
Summary: Sarah is kidnapped, and it is up to a mercenary to save her
1. chapter 1

Ch 1.  
  
Drew leaned further over the neck of his horse and urged it to go faster. The trail ahead was rocky, but the slight indentations in the dust, hoof prints, told him that he was on the right track.  
  
It was pure luck that had put him in the right place at the right time. He had trusted luck in the past and it had been a fickle mistress, deserting him just when he needed it, or helping him just when he thought that he was beyond hope. But today, today, he thought, his luck might just hold.  
  
He had been off of the path in the forest when a band of riders had thundered past. If truth be told, he was busy vomiting up the ale he had spent most of the night consuming, but it was luck that had him take his horse off of the trail before he threw up, and it was luck that had blessed him with a shadowy glade that hid him from the riders that rode past. It was also luck that had made him look up from his vomiting just in time to see the beautiful woman ride past. Even through his hangover-addled mind, the details of her had imprinted themselves on his sub-conscious.  
  
Her dark hair had floated behind her on the breeze, and her white dress had blended with her white horse until it had seemed that she was an extension of the magnificent animal. Her dark eyes had flashed, even in the gloom, and Drew had seen that she was extraordinarily beautiful, even though it was clear that she was human and not Fae.  
  
It was not until she had passed, and he was mulling over this vision of beauty that he had remembered details that made him frown.  
  
Her beautiful white dress had been ripped at the hem and shoulder, and was not really suitable for riding. There had been a dark blemish on her cheekbone; dirt or a bruise? And her hands had been bound to the reins in front of her.  
  
The remembrance quickly cleared the fumes that had clouded his mind. A human woman of stunning beauty, dressed in court clothing, riding with a group of Fae soldiers? After some thinking, he shook his head. He could recall the armour and weaponry of the riders who had just passed - they were not dressed in the regalia of the royalty. The armour had been mismatched and tarnished, their weapons had been unsheathed, as if they feared attack at any moment, and they did not ride in any sort of formation. A band of brigands, then? Drew had thought quickly, and then had swung up into the saddle of his horse. Whoever they were, the woman was obviously being held captive. It could possibly be in his best interests to follow and see where it would lead. It was also luck that he had just finished his last job and had not yet found another.  
  
As a mercenary, Drew had found work plentiful in the area of late. The Fae Lords were always notoriously petty in their fights with neighbouring Kingdoms, but until recently the fights had been small skirmishes that were quickly fought, and won or lost with minimal bloodshed. Now, the fights were only just stopping short of full-scale war.  
  
Drew shrugged as this thought passed through his head. Political unrest was always good for business, he chuckled to himself. There was always one Lord or another who was willing to pay top price to swell out the ranks of his army. Drew didn't care what cause he fought for, as long as his purse was full at the end of the day.  
  
Unfortunately, being paid a higher wage for mercenary work also brought the unfortunate side effects of being the first to be gotten rid of when the fights died down. It also earned him the animosity of the soldiers who saw themselves as the just and good fighters of these battles, and the mercenaries as gutter scum who sold their loyalty to the highest bidders.  
  
Drew shrugged his shoulders again as he rode. He had just finished his last job, but an unfortunate night of gambling and drink had left his purse lighter than he would have liked. He had been on his way to a neighbouring kingdom when the excesses of the night before had made him stop. And now he thanked his lucky stars that he had.  
  
He urged his horse again when it hesitated. He had a feeling that what he had seen this morning would be far more lucrative than the possibility of another job in the next kingdom. He grinned to himself and hoped that his luck would hold. 


	2. chapter 2

Ch 2.  
  
Following the path of the riders was not difficult, as they had been travelling for speed, not stealth. This puzzled Drew, until he reached the crest of a hill and saw where the path was leading him.  
  
The IronBack Ridges. One of the only places in the Fae Kingdoms that thwarted Fae magic.  
  
Ah-ha, Drew mused. I was right. She is royalty. His luck was indeed smiling on him today.  
  
That the Fae would hurry to take the woman to the IronBack Ridges told him that they feared that magic would be used to find and take the woman back. As only those of Fae Royal Blood could perform the magic required to scry and transport people, it was obvious that the riders hoped to get to the mountains before they were seen. The large amounts of iron ore buried in the heart of the mountains meant that magic could not penetrate past the foothills of the Ridges, and even before that, any scrying was thick with a kind of magickal fog.  
  
All to my advantage, Drew decided. If the woman is as important as I think, it means that whoever will be looking for her will not have any ideas as to where she is. They will not even be able to feel her essence, whether she is alive or dead. When I present her back to them, they will be so grateful, they will shower me with gold!  
  
Drew was so taken by the idea, daydreaming of the mountains of gold that would be his, that he nearly lost the trail as it suddenly veered off into the brush. Concentrate, he admonished himself. After you have the woman, you can think about the rewards. Until then, concentrate!  
  
He turned off the track and plunged his horse into the low, dry scrub. He was worried about losing the trail, but after a couple of steps, the brush opened to a track that he had not even suspected was there. Little more than a goat track, it seemed to have had a lot of traffic recently. He grinned again. The signs of lots of movement along this path meant that this is something that has been planned over time, he thought to himself. it is not a quick snatch-and-run. This is a pre-meditated Kidnapping. She must be very important for someone to go to all this trouble!  
  
The thought of pre-meditation made him hesitate and slow his horse to a trot. if they have planned this, they could very well have a look-out posted, just in case. He would have to be careful.  
  
He reined the horse in suddenly. A niggling thought that he had had for most of the ride had suddenly screamed to the fore. There had been at least six riders with the woman this morning; what if there were more waiting at wherever they were taking her? He could take on maybe four or five of the men if he had the element of surprise and grab the woman before the others had time to react, but if there were more than eight, he had little chance of surviving, let alone rescuing the woman.  
  
For the first time, he had doubts. Maybe the best idea would be to go back and find a noble, tell them what he had seen and bring them back here. Maybe it would be the wisest course...... he toyed with the idea for a second, and then discarded it ruthlessly. If he told a noble, then they would take all the credit and get all the reward, not him. He would be given a pat on the head and dismissed. No, he decided, he had come this far and his luck had rewarded him. If he turned back now, luck would discard him as a coward. he would go forward and see how his luck fared, and if it held, then all would be fine.  
  
With this thought in his heart, he touched his heels to the flanks of his horse and continued along the trail. 


	3. chapter 3

Ch 3.  
  
Drew's thoughts had proved to be correct. The brigands had set a lookout as the trail wound through the foothills. But his luck had smiled. The lookout had not expected that there would be anyone following so soon after his friends, so his watch was very sloppy. he had sat down under a tree whittling a stick with a small eating knife. He had not heard Drew's horse until they were upon him, and he did not get out a shout before Drew had jumped down, grabbed his head and snapped his neck. Drew had let the man slump to the ground, then had searched the corpse, pocketing the small eating knife, a larger hunting knife and a small purse of coins before he dragged the body into the shrubs and covered it with a few loose branches. It would soon be discovered if someone was looking for it, but a passing rider would not see it from the trail. Drew had also discovered a small but powerful hunting bow and a bag of rations propped where the lookout had been sat. He quickly scooped up the bounty gratefully. He had not brought any food with him, but his luck had provided him.  
  
He now quietly chewed on a strip of dried beef as he surveyed the scene below him. The sun was heading towards evening shadows, but he still had plenty of light to see the camp by. He had tracked the riders for most of the day, and as he had suspected, they had ridden deep into the IronBack Ranges. The riders had kept mostly to the gullies, possibly to be certain that magic would not spy them, which made their travelling slow. This was another stroke of luck for Drew; he could stay behind them, unseen, and follow them from a distance without being heard, as the noise of the other riders echoed down the gullies and masked any sound he may have made. When the Riders had found their way to their camp, he had been given enough warning that he could find a spot above the camp where he could spy on them and not be seen.  
  
He took a swallow of water from a waterbag that he had found in the bag of rations. There had also been a half-empty bag of wine, which, he had mused, possibly explained the lack of attention of the lookout. He had put the wine to one side and stuck to drinking water.  
  
From his vantage point, he had an excellent view of the campsite. It was obvious to him that the riders had been planning for some time - the campsite was well situated in the gully, with high cliffs on two sides, a slightly less daunting, scrub covered mountain on the other, which is where Drew had hidden, and the gully fell away to a shallow stream, where the horses were being watered. It would be easily defensible from anyone approaching from either side, and the stream provided a route of escape if both ways were attacked. The Riders had already groomed and watered the horses, and they had been turned out to graze contentedly in the grass near the stream. Even in the approaching shadows, the woman's white horse was easily distinguishable.  
  
He looked back to the camp. The situation was worse than he had feared. The six riders who had been with the woman were only half of the total amount of men he saw down in the camp. Although they were not an official army, they were still remarkably organised, far more organised than he had given them credit for. They had prepared a campfire, and already the smells of cooking were floating through the air. Men had been organised to gather firewood, others were busy filling water bottles from the stream, and he had even seen a man ride in, confer with a couple of people, hand over a package and leave. Right in the middle, seated near a fire, Drew saw the woman. Her white gown was stained with dirt, and she was looking at the ground as if her head was too heavy to lift. Drew suddenly hoped that the riders hadn't drugged her. Rescue would be so much easier if she was able to ride her own horse instead of needing to be carried. He decided to cross that bridge when he came to it.  
  
He weighed up his options in his mind. He could wait until nightfall, then try and sneak up on them one at a time, dispatching them all until he could reach the woman. He examined the idea, then put it to one side. It was a risky option, because if just one man cried out before he could silence them, the others would be alerted. He could wait until they took her to the river and then try to snatch her, but that too would be too risky. He frowned. This would be harder than he thought. It would be so much easier if he could just walk into the camp, announce his intentions and take her away while they were all busy laughing at him!  
  
A smile slowly spread over his face as he considered it. It was such a crazy idea that it just might work! 


	4. chapter 4

Ch 4.  
  
Drew had nearly reached the campfire by the time anyone noticed him. He had walked with such a purposeful stride that every one simply assumed he was supposed to be there. It was only when he pulled out a small hunting knife and threw it into the ground that everyone realized that he was not a member of their camp. The knife thudded itself into the ground, burying the blade almost to the hilt.  
  
"Pathetic!" Drew declared in his loudest voice. "I have never seen a camp so poorly defended! Where is your leader?"  
  
The men who had gathered near him drew back slightly as a tall, stocky man walked forwards.  
  
"I am the leader here! Now, tell me who the hell you are and what the hell you are doing here, so I may at least know that much before I gut you!"  
  
Drew grinned. His lady luck was smiling on him once more.  
  
"Hrap? Hrap! You old son of a bitch! I should have known that only an old goat like you would be this organised out here in the wilds! How the hell are you?"  
  
Hrap's face broke into a grin. "Drew! You're the last person I expected to see! What are you doing out here?" He slapped Drew on the shoulder, sending the other man staggering.  
  
Drew grinned at the older man. "I was hunting just over that hill there and heard a hell of a racket." He shrugged. "I decided to find out what was going on."  
  
Hrap looked at Drew for a long moment, a moment in which Drew's heart moved up into his mouth. The last time Drew had seen Hrap, Hrap had been a kind of captain of the mercenary fighters in one of the armies that Drew had fought with. He was not the smartest of men, but he knew how to give orders, and most of the mercenaries respected him. If he could not fool Hrap, then he was dead. The silence stretched on until Drew thought he would scream, but then he slapped Drew's shoulder again and grinned. "It must be your lucky day, Drew, for it is surely ours! We too have been hunting, and just look at what we snared!"  
  
Hrap flung a companionable arm over Drew's shoulder and steered him towards where the woman sat. As they walked towards her, she raised her head. Even though her face was weary, her eyes shone with hatred, and she spat at the ground near their feet. Hrap casually backhanded her, and as her head flung to one side, Drew could see that the bruises ran from her forehead all the way down her neck. Obviously, she had not come quietly.  
  
"A noblewoman?" Drew asked with some genuine curiosity. Hrap stared at him in disbelief, then, when he saw that Drew's question was genuine, he laughed aloud.  
  
"Have you been living under a rock, Drew?" When Drew shook his head, Hrap laughed again. "I forgot - you never were one for politics. You were only ever interested in the coin. Well, Drew, may I introduce you to Lady Sarah, fiancée to King Jareth, and the woman who is about to make us very, very rich!"  
  
If it was possible, the hatred in her eyes deepened.  
  
"King Jareth? You mean, King of the Goblins, King Jareth?" Drew's jaw had dropped open in shock. "Are you insane? If he ever catches you, he will not only draw and quarter you, he will then drop the pieces in the Bog of Eternal Stench!"  
  
Hrap laughed. "True, but we're not going to get caught!"  
  
Drew shook his head. "I don't see how you are going to be able to pull this off, Hrap. I can't even think why you would want to kidnap her in the first place! Even if you ransom her back to the king, she will know your faces, and you will be hunted down."  
  
Hrap threw his arm around Drew's shoulder and steered him away from the captive. He leant in close to Drew, and Drew almost choked as he smelt the rancidness of the other man's breath. "The thing is, she's not going to be alive to tell anyone what we look like. She'll be dead by tomorrow, and we will be wealthy."  
  
Drew shook his head in confusion. "I don't understand!" He confessed to the older man. "How will she be worth more to you dead than alive?"  
  
Hrap smiled at his confusion. "She is not worth anything to me, but rather, the man who we are working for." He shook his head at Drew's questioning glance. "No, I am not about to tell you anything more. But I will ask, are you looking for work? Because, as I remember, you are a good fighter, and I could do with a few more good fighters on my team. You will be paid very well for this job, and when you walk away at the end, you will not have to worry about any repercussions coming back on you. You may even be offered more work from this Lord!"  
  
Drew's mind worked at a thousand miles an hour. Yes, he thought, this will be the best way. he nodded his assent to Hrap and nearly went flying as he was slapped forcibly on the shoulder again.  
  
"Good!" Hrap chortled. "It is indeed luck that brought you our way. Although I am surprised that Bothe didn't stop you earlier on your way."  
  
Oh, crap, Drew thought. Aloud, he said "Bothe? Was he the Lookout?" At Hrap's nod of assent, Drew thought quickly. "Well, if it was the man I saw up the road, he was as drunk as a skunk when I passed him. He tried to skewer me as I passed, so I headed up into the hills to hunt, rather than follow the gullies."  
  
Hrap nodded thoughtfully. "We'll as long as he's still keeping an eye out." He looked around the camp. "Well, shove your stuff over there and unsaddle your horse, then go and help get some firewood. We will be setting out in the morning, but we should have plenty of time to relax this evening. Welcome to camp." 


	5. chapter 5

Ch 5.  
  
Evening had deepened into twilight before Drew had found the chance to speak to the woman. He had been asked to take her some dinner and watch over her while she ate and drank. "After all," Hrap had added with a wink, "We wouldn't want our Lady to die of starvation now, would we?"  
  
Drew had taken the plate of food and the water bottle and walked over to where the woman had been placed. She was sat against a log, her arms bound behind her, near her own small fire. The man who had been assigned to watch her looked up as Drew approached.  
  
"Go and get some food, I'll watch her while she eats," Drew had told him. The guard had left quickly, grateful, although he had warned Drew before he walked off, "Careful, she's a livewire!"  
  
Drew placed the food on the ground near the woman's feet, and then walked behind her to loosen her bonds.  
  
"Don't bother." She said in a low voice. "I'm not going to eat anything."  
  
Drew was glad that, by some streak of decency, Hrap had placed her away from the men, and thus Drew could speak to her quietly without fear of being overheard. "You should eat, my Lady." He untied her hands and walked back to the fire, allowing her some time to herself to rub the feeling back into her wrists. He gestured at the food and the water bottle. "At least have something to drink."  
  
She snorted. "Why? It's not like I'm going to live through this anyway. I might as well die of dehydration."  
  
He sat down, close enough that he could talk, but not so close that the anyone else looking over would be suspicious. He looked into her eyes and was struck, suddenly, by how pretty she was, even bruised and dirty. He shoved away the thought.  
  
"I am here to rescue you, my Lady, and it will make it a lot easier on both of us if you have enough strength to ride and possibly fight."  
  
Her eyes widened slightly in hope, and then narrowed. "Why should I trust you?" She hissed quietly. "You are just another one of these," she flicked her hand at the other campfire, where the men were laughing uproariously, "out to make your fortune on the misfortune of others. What makes you any more trustworthy?"  
  
Drew looked at her carefully. "What other choice do you have?" He asked her quietly.  
  
She stared at him for a moment, then sighed and picked up the plate in front of her. "I suppose you are right," she sighed. She began to pick at her food, then quickly looked up and narrowed her eyes. "Did Jareth send you?"  
  
Drew contemplated lying to her to put her mind at rest and make her trust him more, but he shook his head. "No, my Lady, he didn't." He shrugged. "I just happened to see you and the riders this morning and decided to follow." Even to his own ears, the explanation sounded false. She was watching him with incredulous eyes.  
  
"So, you saw me this morning, surrounded by thugs, and thought 'Oh, look, a damsel in distress, I think I'll see if I can help her'!" She laughed. "What are you, a knight?"  
  
He grinned. "No, my Lady. I'm a mercenary." He watched the smile fade from her face, and she dropped her eyes back to her plate. "Look, it doesn't really matter how I got here or my motivation for rescuing you, just believe me when I tell you that I am here to help." For some reason, he felt angry at her. He got up suddenly. "Now, eat. I am going to go back to the fire to talk to Hrap."  
  
She looked up at him with surprise mirrored in her eyes. "Why?"  
  
He sighed, and turned to signal the other fire. "Because, my Lady," he explained quietly, "it will not be good for us if it looks like I am too chummy with you. It will look suspicious. The second reason is," he turned and looked back at her as the guard saw him and signalled back. "Wouldn't you like to know exactly who it is who wants you dead?"  
  
He turned away and walked back to the other fire, but not before he had seen the sudden flaring of fear in her eyes. 


	6. chapter 6

Ch 6.  
  
The men around him roared with laughter as Drew recounted the tale of his last job.  
  
"....So, as soon as I had been paid, I rode out of there. There was no way that I wanted to be around when the Lord found out that I'd not only taken my share of coin, but had taken my share of his darling daughter's flower!"  
  
Hrap wiped tears from his eyes and clapped Drew on the shoulder. "You always did have a way with the women!" He proclaimed, and then belched. Drew grinned at him and passed him the wine skin. Alcohol had been flowing freely around the fire, and all of the men were pleasantly drunk. Drew had given the impression that he was keeping up with them all, drink for drink, but in reality he had been taking the wine into his mouth and then backwashing it back into the bottle. He had mentally cringed, but then decided that it couldn't make the wine taste any worse than it already did. He also acted as though he was drunk, although he was stone sober.  
  
Drew made a huge show of stretching and yawning. "Well, I guess I'd better get some sleep if we're going to be riding in the morning." He declared. Hrap looked at him blurrily.  
  
"Nah, stay up a little longer. We're not riding very far tomorrow, just to the kingdom past the Ridges. We should get there by midday."  
  
Drew looked at him, his mind working quickly. "Oh, but surely we're going to have to ride quickly to stop anyone from scrying us?"  
  
Hrap belched again. "Nup!" He said proudly. "We got a cloak from Lord Danvar this afternoon. It's got something magic in it, I don't know, but when the girl wears it, she won't be able to be seen by scrying."  
  
Drew pretended to look drunkenly confused. "But I thought that you said we're going to the kingdom just after the Ranges? Isn't that Aspen's kingdom?"  
  
"Yeah, it is." Hrap yawned widely and stretched. Most of the other men had fallen asleep by the fire or had gone back to their bedrolls. "We're to leave the Lady's body at Aspen's, so that Jareth will think that she was killed their, but it's Danvar who is paying us. You should see the cloak!" He announced suddenly, and lurching to his feet, he stumbled over where his own stuff was thrown and pulled a long red velvet cloak from out of some saddlebags. "I don't know what kind of magic is in it, but it sure is pretty. I hope that Danvar will let me keep it after we're finished. I could do with a cloak that makes me invisible to magic." He brought it back over to Drew and threw it at him, then sat and took another drink from the wine bag. Drew let the cloak pool on his lap. Indeed, the cloak was lovely, thick velvet and what felt to be silk lining. There were gold symbols embroidered around the edges, and Drew guessed that these were the source of the magic. Drew folded it and put it to one side, then looked up at Hrap. Hrap was half-asleep, his head falling onto his chest. Drew poked him awake and offered him a hand.  
  
"C'mon, I'll help you to your blankets." Hrap's eyes flickered and he grunted his assent, but as Drew helped him to his feet, he suddenly lurched towards the other fire, where the Lady was.  
  
"I'd better check on her before I sleep, take her to piss."  
  
Drew grabbed his arm. "Don't worry about it. I'll check on her and take her, you go to bed." He turned to go when Hrap grabbed his elbow. A sudden fear shot through him, but as he turned, Hrap was grinning drunkenly at him.  
  
"Y'know what Drew? It was definitely luck that brought you. I'm glad you're here."  
  
Drew patted him on the arm and sent him to his bed, then turned towards the other fire.  
  
The guard was just about asleep, but quickly jerked awake as Drew approached. He relaxed when he saw who it was, and Drew grinned at him.  
  
"I'm here to take her to piss. If you want, go and get some sleep, I'll watch her for a bit."  
  
The guard stood up, yawned and thanked him, then turned to gather up his stuff. Drew walked over to Sarah, who seemed to be sleeping on the ground, and nudged her with his toe.  
  
Instantly, she had kicked out at him and caught him in the groin. He doubled over in pain. The guard, who saw the movement, was at his side in an instant. He slapped Sarah, knocking her back to the ground, as Drew bent over his throbbing nether regions and groaned. The guard looked at him in concern.  
  
"Are you okay?" Drew nodded, but it was some minutes before he could straighten up and talk again. He grinned weakly at the guard.  
  
"I guess I'll be more careful in the future!" The guard nodded and laughed. Drew reached down and roughly hoisted Sarah to her feet, pushing her in the direction of the river. She stumbled, but soon got her feet under her and haughtily walked into the darkness. The guard looked at him questioningly, but Drew waved a hand in the direction of the sleeping areas. "Go, I'll be fine. I'll just be more wary of her feet!" The guard nodded and headed towards his sleeping roll. Drew sighed, and walked to find Sarah. 


	7. chapter 7

Ch 7.  
  
She was stood by the side of the stream, looking back towards the camp, when he walked up to her. The distant fire reflected in her eyes as she looked at him.  
  
"I'm sorry." She offered quietly. "I didn't know that it was you. I thought it was that pig Captain."  
  
He smiled weakly at her and gestured for her to turn around. He untied her wrists and put the twine in his pocket. She rubbed her wrists to get the blood circulating again, then turned and smiled at him. His heart lurched in his chest. He had never seen someone so beautiful, even a Fae. Where the Fae ladies were ethereal and dream-like, she was more earthy and real. When she smiled at him like that....  
  
He pushed the thought out of his head. "What do you know about Danvar and Aspen?" He asked her, a little more roughly than normal. She tipped her head to one side as she thought. She still rubbed her wrists.  
  
"Danvar and Aspen have been at each other's throats for as long as I've know." She said slowly. "They are always petitioning the High King over their arguments, and it's normally about petty things like boundary-lines. Their kingdoms are right next to each other, and they share fertile grazing lands, half a forest and a goldmine on their boundaries, I think." She looked at him. "I've only met them once or twice. Aspen was lovely; he pinched my cheek and told me that I reminded him of his granddaughter. She's my best friend." She smiled at the memory, and then shivered. "I didn't like Danvar, though. He gave me the creeps. He just seemed so.... slimy."  
  
Drew smiled at her description, and then grew serious. "From what I can piece together, Danvar was going to have you killed and put somewhere in Aspen's kingdom so that the blame would be put on him."  
  
Sarah looked at him in horror. "Of course! Aspen would be put to death and his kingdom would go to the crown as the price for treason against the High King. Danvar could then buy it from the crown at a reduced price." She put her hand to her mouth. "Cateryn wouldn't be able to speak to me again!" At Drew's questioning look, she explained. "Cateryn is my best friend, and as Aspen's granddaughter, she would be classed as a traitor, too. It wouldn't help that I was visiting her when I was taken."  
  
Drew shook his head. "Why would killing you be classed as treason?"  
  
Sarah looked at him in surprise. "Jareth is heir to the High Throne. I thought you knew!" She smiled at his expression. "Wow, for a mercenary, you really don't know a lot about politics, do you?"  
  
He shrugged. "I don't really need to know what the squabbles between the nobles are about to find work."  
  
Her eyes grew a little colder. "I guess not." She looked away, back to the camp and sighed. "So, do you have a plan to get us out of here?"  
  
Drew was a little taken aback by her change in attitude, but he refused to show it. "Our best bet is to leave now," he said. "Most of the men have drunk themselves into a stupor, so the quicker we leave, the less likely they are to hear us."  
  
Sarah nodded. "Let's get to it. The sooner I'm out of here, the happier I'll be."  
  
They rounded up their horses, and Sarah held them as Drew quietly made his way over to where the saddlery had been put. His luck had held. The man who was supposed to be watching the horses was snoring against a few of the saddles. A bag of wine was lying opened at his feet. Drew grinned and gently moved the man so that he was lying on the ground, then took what he needed.  
  
They saddled the horses in silence, trying to muffle the sounds of the tack jingling. They also wrapped the horses' hooves to muffle the noise when they rode. Suddenly, Drew stopped.  
  
"Sarah, I will be back in a second. I have to grab my stuff."  
  
Sarah nodded, whispering "be careful." Drew crept back towards the camp. The fire had died down, and no-one seemed to be moving. Drew carefully made his way between the prone bodies to where he had dumped his stuff, and carefully shouldered his saddlebags. As he walked back to where he had left Sarah, he passed the fire. He glanced quickly at the men sleeping there, and his eye caught a flash of red. He turned his head and saw the red velvet cloak. An impulse made him stop and grab it. The soft fabric slid through his fingers and he had to bundle it up to carry it.  
  
He walked back to Sarah without incident. She looked questioningly at the cloak in his hands. He glanced at her, and realised that her dress was torn to such a state that it was just about indecent. He threw the cloak towards her. "Put this on." She grabbed it as it came towards her and swept it around her in one fluid motion. The gold symbols glinted in the distant firelight. Well, he thought, at least if she wore it, Danvar would not be able to scry them out and tell his band of men where they had gone to.  
  
"Let's go." 


	8. chapter 8

Ch 8.  
  
By mutual agreement, they walked the horses until they had gone around a curve in the trail and could no longer see the campfire. They mounted carefully and started to trot. The trail was visible by the moonlight, but the going was still rocky and they did not want to lame their horses soon into their escape.  
  
They travelled for many minutes in silence. Then Sarah brought her horse up level with Drew.  
  
"I've been thinking. They must be very sure that I was not going to be rescued tonight. They didn't have anyone guarding me, and they don't have any lookouts posted."  
  
Drew snorted. "I was supposed to be the one guarding you tonight," he pointed out, "and as for the lookout, I killed him earlier."  
  
He could see Sarah look at him sideways. "Wouldn't they have sent someone to relieve him at some stage?" She asked him quietly.  
  
He shrugged. "Possibly. We'll just have to be careful and take care of him when we get to him."  
  
She stared at him, then giggled slightly. "You talk so matter-of-factly about killing him. I just can't understand it!"  
  
"Understand this, then, my Lady. Those men would be quite happy to kill you tomorrow to frame the grandfather of your best friend. Does that put things into perspective for you?" Drew felt inexplicably angry. Did she think that he liked to kill? Didn't she realise that it was just another job to him?  
  
She seemed to feel realise that she had upset him. "Yes, I suppose it does put it in perspective." She sighed. "Please forgive me. This morning I was walking in my friends' garden, this afternoon I found out that I was going to be killed. I guess I just find it a little strange that it has been so easy to escape."  
  
No sooner had the words left her lips than Drew heard a hissing noise. He turned and felt something speed past his ear, then heard Sarah behind him give a gasp of surprise. He saw a glint of metal ahead and quickly jumped off his horse and ran towards it. A man was busy trying to notch another arrow, but before he could aim it, Drew had reached him, drawn out a knife and plunged it into his stomach. The man gave a gurgling couch and slumped over Drew's hand. He pulled out the blade and wiped it on the ground, then, sheathing it, dragged the man off into the bushes at the side of the trail. He walked back to the horses. Sarah was looking at him in surprise.  
  
"It's okay, my Lady, I have killed him."  
  
She didn't answer him, just looked at him. "My Lady?"  
  
He reached her side just as she began to topple from her horse. He caught her and laid her on the ground, brushing aside the edges of the cloak.  
  
A haft of an arrow stuck out of her shoulder. She had gone deathly pale, and her eyes had closed. He gasped and pulled her forward. The arrow had gone through cleanly, and the arrowhead and part of the shaft were protruding from her back. He bit his lip, and then made his decision quickly. She seemed to have fainted. If he was going to pull out the arrow, now would be the best time. He sat her up and leaned her head against his chest so that he could reach around with both hands and grasp the arrow. Holding it still with one hand, he snapped the head off with the other. He felt her flinch, but she did not cry out. Blood was running in rivulets down her back, and made his hands slippery. He laid her back down on the ground and grasped her shoulder in one hand, his other hand wrapping around the feathered flight. He took a deep breath.  
  
"Okay, my Lady, I'm going to pull the arrow out, okay? On the count of three. One...Two..." He yanked the shaft out. Blood flowed freely, soaking into her already ruined dress. She opened her eyes briefly, and then fainted again.  
  
"Three." Drew sighed and tossed the shaft into nearby bushes. He jumped up and rummaged through his saddlebags, pulling out a length of linen that he had been given by a grateful daughter of a Lord. He used his knife to split it into pieces, and then wadded the last two pieces into pads. He used some of the water to clean the wound as best he could, then placed the pads on either side of the wound and bandaged it as best he could. Sarah was a dead weight in his arms, but better, he mused, than screaming her head off. He packed everything up and put it all back into the saddlebags, then turned back to the problem of Sarah. With her shoulder bandaged, there was no way that she was going to be able to ride her own horse, especially if she was unconscious. He tied her horse's reins to his saddle, and then turned to her. Her eyes were open and she was watching him, but he was not sure if she was fully conscious.  
  
"Can you stand?" He asked. She did not reply. He picked her up and gently set her on her feet. She swayed slightly, but could stand. He mounted his horse and reached down to grab her. As he pulled her in front of him, he realised that she had fallen unconscious again, probably due to the pain of moving. He wrapped the cloak around her, and tapped his heels on the flanks of his horse. 


	9. chapter 9

Ch 9.  
  
Dawn had begun to silver the sky as they wound their way out of the last of the foothills. Sarah had been floating in and out of consciousness for most of the night. Drew had found it uncomfortable, trying to balance a full grown woman on the horse in front of him, but at some stage she had moaned in her sleep and shifted so that he got a waft of her scent. Even dirty and sweaty as she was, she must have put on a flowery scent before she had gotten kidnapped, and it was this that had reached Drew as he had shifted his weight. He had carefully looked at her, but all he could see of her face was her long lashes lying on the curve of her bruised cheek. He had sighed when he had seen the bruising. Even in the pre-dawn light, they had stood out in vivid purple against her pallor.  
  
She had opened her eyes just as he was beginning to worry about her lack of consciousness. She was quiet for quite a while before he even noticed that she was awake. When he saw that she was, he grinned in relief.  
  
"How are you feeling this morning?" He asked in her ear.  
  
She snorted. "How do you think I feel? I have had an arrow removed from my shoulder. I feel in a lot of pain."  
  
"I'm sorry that I'm not a higher-born Fae; I don't have the magic to heal you. I don't even have enough to give you pain relief!"  
  
Sarah had wiggled slightly in his grasp. "What do you mean? I thought all Fae had magic?"  
  
Drew shook his head slightly. "No, not really. Only noble-born Fae have magic, at least, more magic than just being able to light a fire or having really good eyesight." He shrugged. "That's okay, though. If everyone had magic, it would take the fun out of life!"  
  
Sarah nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Sometimes it's so much better to be able to do something for yourself rather than just magic it into being."  
  
Drew felt her sigh through his shoulder. "If you don't mind me asking, how did you end up with the King of the Goblins, anyway? There aren't many Fae guys who are into Human Women."  
  
He could just about hear the smile in her voice. "It's a long story," she said. "The short version is that when I was younger, I wished my brother away and Jareth took him. When I got back to Earth, I couldn't stop thinking about him, so I wished for him to take me away." She shrugged, and then winced. She had forgotten her wound. "It turned out that he had been watching me all along and had been waiting for me to realize that I loved him. He asked me to marry him, and I agreed."  
  
Drew smiled. "Sounds nice! I hope it works out well for the both of you."  
  
"What about you? Any special Ladies in your life?"  
  
Drew contemplated the question for a second. "Well, there have been a few women...." he laughed suddenly."That probably isn't a story for ears as young and innocent as yours!" She laughed with him. "Probably the only real Lady I have as a constant in my life is good old lady Luck. She's fickle, but I can't get by without her." He shrugged again. "She was smiling on me yesterday when I saw you ride past, hopefully she'll smile on me today when I get you home."  
  
He felt Sarah move again in his grasp, and adjusted his grip to get more comfortable. She sighed, and he could hear her breathing slow as she slipped back into sleep. "I'm sure she'll smile on you..." she murmured, and Drew smiled. He was certain, too.  
  
He got his bearings as they rode. He had weighed up the decision to take her either to the nearest kingdom, which was just a few hours away, or to take her straight to the Underground, and straight to Jareth. He suddenly realised that Sarah had said that she had been visiting a friend when she had been taken, and that friend was the one whose grandfather would be blamed for Sarah's murder. He did not believe that they had any responsibility for Sarah's kidnapping, but it was better to be safe than sorry. It could also be that there could be a traitor or a spy for Danvar living in the household. He made his decision and turned the horses to his right. He would take her home. It would probably take them all day, but at least he could live with the thought that he had done everything he could to get her home safely.  
  
He blinked. Where had that thought come from? Never before had he been concerned about whether or not a job got finished completely, and never before had he been worried that someone might be hurt if he took the easier option. He shrugged and adjusted his hold again. It was probably because he had spent all this time with her, he reasoned. If she had been just another job, he wouldn't care so much.  
  
He sighed again. After this job was over, he decided, he was going to take a long vacation. Then he crossed his fingers and hoped that the vacation wasn't going to be a one-way ticket to the Bog of Eternal Stench, courtesy of Jareth! 


	10. chapter 10

Ch 10.  
  
Sarah did not open her eyes again before midday. Drew had been on the lookout for a stream where they could water the horses and refill their water bottles. He was trying to remember what food was left in the ration bag that he had taken from the lookout when she moaned and squirmed, and he nearly dropped her. He halted the horses and slid out of the saddle, bringing Sarah down with him. He carried her over to a grassy shaded area just off of the road and laid her on the ground, then took the horses over to the stream. When he came back to her, she was flushed and sweating. He sat down in front of her and pulled her into a sitting position. Putting the water bottle to her lips, he poured a trickle of water into her mouth. She spluttered and spat it out.  
  
"Come on, my Lady, you need to drink." He urged her. He poured a little more into her mouth and she swallowed. He felt her forehead. She was burning up with fever. He gave her a little more water then eased her back on the ground. He pulled open the cloak at her shoulder.  
  
The bandages were completely soaked in blood. He gently unwrapped them to take a look at the wound. It was still oozing blood, and the skin around it was pink and angry looking. Drew sighed. It was obvious that infection had set in.  
  
He rocked back on his heels and thought. The infection had set in so fast that it was likely that she would not last until he got her home. He stroked her sweat sodden hair back from her face. She was so beautiful. She moaned gently and pressed her face into his hand. He hesitated, then bent down and gently kissed her. Before he could pull back, she started to return the kiss with such passion that he could not resist. He lost himself, her lips sweet and hot, passionate under his. He suddenly broke away and stared down at her, cupping her face in his hand.  
  
"I love you, my Lady."  
  
She smiled and nuzzled into his touch. "Jareth....."  
  
"Well, well, well, isn't this sweet?"  
  
Drew turned to see Hrap and six other men standing over him. Hrap grinned menacingly.  
  
"You've given us an awful lot of trouble, Drew, not to mention annoying our Master no end!" Hrap paced towards him. "We've wasted most of the day hunting you down, and when we get here, what do we see? You playing kissy- face with our hostage. Is that how she convinced you to free her? Is she that good a screw that you would desert your friends for her?"  
  
Drew could hear Sarah thrashing around on the ground behind him. He feverently hoped that she would become lucid enough to be of some help, but he knew that it was a vain hope. He unsheathed his hunting knife and stood up.  
  
"You are not going to take her, and you are not going to kill her. She is going home."  
  
Hrap laughed. "And just how are you going to stop us when you're dead? Who's going to stop us then?"  
  
"That would be me."  
  
They all turned to the sound of the quietly deadly voice. A tall blonde man dressed in black stepped out from the shadows beneath the trees and crossed his arms over his chest. Drew gasped in surprise.  
  
King Jareth!  
  
Drew snuck a quick peek at Sarah. She had twisted her way out of the cloak and laid atop the red velvet. Understanding suddenly clicked in Drew's mind. Of course! The cloak had been making Sarah invisible to Jareth's magic! Now that she had uncovered herself, he had been able to find her.  
  
He turned back to face Jareth. Rage radiated off of him, made all the more frightening by him being so still. Hrap and the other guys had looked the King up and down, and had obviously decided that he was no threat to them, as they had all drawn their knives and were glaring at him.  
  
"What's it to you?" Hrap snarled. Jareth just looked at him. It was obviously unnerving the other man, because he charged at the still figure. Jareth flicked his hand and Hrap disappeared in mid lunge. He flicked his hand again and the others disappeared. Then he turned to Drew.  
  
Drew dropped his knife. "Please, can you heal her?" He gestured to Sarah's prone figure. Jareth's attention switched from Drew to her, and instantly his expression changed to concern.  
  
"What happened?" Jareth rushed to Sarah's side and gathered her into his arms. She moaned at the movement, and her eyelashes fluttered. "Jareth...?" She whispered.  
  
Jareth stood up in one smooth movement. Sarah dangled from his arms like a rag doll. He glared at Drew.  
  
"Don't go anywhere!" He snapped. "I'll be back to deal with you soon."  
  
Then he disappeared, taking Sarah with him.  
  
Drew swallowed hard and let out a shuddering sigh. He had been sure that he would have gone the way of Hrap and the others. He didn't know what Jareth had in store for him, but he was fairly certain that it would be a far bit more pleasant than what he had done to them. He looked around the clearing, then went and picked up the wine bag. If he was going to have to wait, he might as well be comfortable. 


	11. chapter 11

Ch 11.  
  
Evening shadows had just started to lengthen when Drew realised that he wasn't alone. He looked up to see Sarah and Jareth standing looking at him. He quickly got to his feet as Sarah ran towards him. She enveloped him in a hug, which he returned with caution. He could smell her scent.  
  
She pulled back to smile at him. "I wanted to thank you for rescuing me. Jareth said I should have stayed in bed, but I couldn't just let him thank you for me."  
  
Drew looked at Jareth over Sarah's head. In the shadows, The Goblin king looked menacing. Drew swallowed; He would hate to think what the King's idea of thanks would be! Then he remembered Hrap and the others.  
  
"What did you do to the kidnappers?"  
  
He shivered at the sudden smile that crossed Jareth's face. It was cold, and full of rage.  
  
"They are.indisposed, in the Bog of Eternal Stench , at least for the moment Once I have found out as much as I can about the person behind this, they will be punished..appropriately." Jareth narrowed his eyes at Drew. "I trust that I will have your full co-operation in bringing them to trial?"  
  
Drew swallowed hard, and nodded. As if he would refuse! He looked back at Sarah to avoid looking at that penetrating glare.  
  
"Hey, your bruises have gone!" He exclaimed. Sarah put her hand up to her cheekbone self consciously.  
  
"Yeah, they fixed them when they fixed my shoulder. I don't even have a scar!" She looked down suddenly. "I would be worrying about more than a scar if you hadn't have been there to rescue me. Drew, if there is anything that I can do for you, if there is a reward that you desire, just ask it and we will give it to you!"  
  
Jareth came forward and slid his hand around Sarah's waist. "For returning my fiancée, I am forever in your debt," he said smoothly. "What can we give you?"  
  
Drew looked from one to the other, his mind reeling. He could have anything! He could have whatever he desired! The possibilities spun through his mind, but slowly they resolved themselves into one thought.  
  
"I....I would like to have a steady job. I don't want to be a mercenary any more."  
  
Sarah looked at Jareth. Jareth smiled.  
  
"I think we can do even better than that. I need a captain for my goblin army. Would you be willing to take on that responsibility?"  
  
Sarah grinned. "Yeah, they are incredibly disorganised. Even a 15 year old girl can defeat them!" She shared an amused look with Jareth.  
  
Drew contemplated the offer. What he really wanted was to tell Sarah again that he loved her, but he realised, looking at her now, that her love for Jareth was all encompassing, and he would never have a chance. He had thought that he would feel bitter by this realisation, but as he looked at her, he decided that it was best for all concerned. Her love for Jareth lit her up from within, and made her beauty luminous. Jareth seemed to love her as much in return. Drew had seen the intense fear that had flashed over Jareth's face when he had first seen Sarah lying there. Only a man who loved deeply could be that scared.  
  
Well, if he could not love her, he would at least make sure that she was safe for the rest of her life, so that she would never be taken again. "I will do it!" He exclaimed. Sarah clapped her hands in delight.  
  
"Wonderful!" She turned and gestured, and a couple of goblins slunk out of the shadows towards them. "Take Drew to his new chambers and arrange for him to inspect the barracks." She turned back to Drew. "You know, it's not too late to refuse the position!" She laughed up at him.  
  
Drew smiled back at her. "It was luck that made me see you yesterday and it is luck that has gotten me this far. I'm guessing that it is luck that I take this position."  
  
Sarah smiled. "I guess Lady Luck does smile on you!"  
  
She does indeed, Drew thought, looking at Sarah smiling at him. She does indeed. 


End file.
